Idli

Sunday morning always made me happy as a kid... My mom would cook some of the yummiest things on sundays... Breakfast would generally be idli or dosa. Personally I have always liked idlis more. Though idlis and dosas are so commonly available in south India, it wasn't the case where I grew up. So sundays were a treat. Below is the traditional way of making idlis..

Ingredients:

Method:

Soak the urad dal for 3-4 hours. If it is a cold day, then soak in lukewarm water.Just before you start grinding the urad dal, soak the idli rava in warm water. Make sure the water is not very hot, else, you will end up cooking the idli rava. Grind urad dal with water till smooth. Drain out the idli rava and mix with the urad dal.Cover it and allow to ferment overnight or for 8-10 hours in a warm place. If it is a cold day, you may need to let it rest for longer. You can also keep it an oven that is at no greater than 40 degree celsius.Add salt in the morning. Adding salt at night may prevent the batter from fermenting.Add a little water to achieve a pouring consistency. Batter must be thicker than what is used for dosa.Grease the idli plates/bowls with oil and spoon in the batter.Steam in an idli cooker for around 10-15 mins.When you put a knife through the idli, it should come out clean.Serve with chutney or sambhar.